TEHRAN – National Blood Donation Day is marked annually on the 9th of Mordad, the fifth Iranian calendar month, which falls on July 31, highlighting the importance of the life-saving act of blood donation.

TEHRAN – The Times Higher Education Sustainability Impact Ratings (previously THE Impact Rankings) report has included no Iranian universities in its 2026 list because of sanctions against the country.

TEHRAN – The head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS), Pirhossein Kolivand, has expounded on a diverse range of services offered by the IRCS staff to people attending the Arbaeen pilgrimage.

Voters will decide whether to replace a nearly 70-year-old appointment system with direct elections that could reshape the state Supreme Court for decades.

Firefighters have been tackling the blaze in Dunwich Heath, near Leiston, since Wednesday evening, with hundreds of holidaymakers and dozens of residents evacuated.

As we waited for our flight home from France to take off, my phone buzzed. It was a text from Scott, my husband, sitting three rows ahead of me. 'I've never felt closer to you now that you know the truth.'

Gianni Infantino's divisive plan to sell stakes in the World Cup appears to be dead after the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) joined UEFA and Concacaf in opposing the plot. 

Alors que de nombreuses localités du pays sont confrontées au conflit homme-faune sauvage, notamment avec les éléphants qui détruisent les cultures, le village de Mbelenaletembe fait face à une réalité tout aussi préoccupante, mais beaucoup plus inattendue : celle des moutons en divagation qui ravagent les champs des habitants. Une situation qui suscite colère, incompréhension et lassitude au sein d'une population qui ne demande qu'à récolter le fruit de son travail. À Mbelenaletembe, (...) - SOCIETE / SUJET_ECRIT_MAISON

Le Président de la République, Chef de l'Etat, Chef du Gouvernement, Son Excellence Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, est arrivé ce jour à Banjul, en République de Gambie, dans le cadre d'une visite d'amitié et de travail destinée à consolider les relations d'excellence entre les deux pays. A son arrivée, le Chef de l'Etat a été accueilli avec les honneurs par son homologue gambien, Son Excellence Adama Barrow. La cérémonie officielle a été marquée par l'exécution des hymnes nationaux de la (...) - COOPERATION / SUJET_ECRIT_MAISON

À partir du 14 août 2026, le pain devra voyager dans des véhicules répondant aux normes sanitaires fixées par l'AGASA. Exit les transports improvisés où la baguette prenait autant de poussière que de kilomètres. L'objectif est simple, permettre aux consommateurs de déguster un pain aussi propre à l'arrivée qu'à la sortie du four. Les retardataires s'exposeront à des contrôles et à des sanctions. Cette fois, le pain ne prendra plus n'importe quel chemin ! Jarele SIKA - SOCIETE / SUJET_ECRIT_MAISON

India and Bhutan reviewed development projects and signed a Rs 4,000-crore credit line. They also expanded cooperation in the health sector and approved new projects. India provided financial and technical assistance for various initiatives. Electric vehicles were handed over as part of green mobility support. The two nations also inaugurated new parks developed under Indian funding.

The petroleum ministry defended India's ethanol blending program on Friday. It stated that blending saved consumers nearly thirty rupees per litre. Food security obligations always take precedence over ethanol production needs. Rice is only one approved feedstock, used when surplus stocks are available. Ethanol blending acts as insurance against global oil price shocks.

The Government is not ruling out implementing a prohibition order against water wasting to mitigate against drought conditions that are expected to continue into the next three months. Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Minister of Water, Environment and Climate Change Matthew Samuda announced that the prohibition will take effect on August 10, saying the measure is essential to ensuring a smooth start to the new academic year.

Michael Ricketts, president of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), said he is confident his directors will vote to reject FIFA President Giovanni Infantino’s ‘FIFA Forward Enterprise’ proposal when it convenes for an emergency meeting at midday today. Ricketts, who also serves as a vice-president of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU), said opposition to the proposal is widespread across the global football community, including within both the CFU and Concacaf. Based on discussions with regional officials and his own directors, he expects Jamaica to join that opposition.

A 21-year-old man will be charged in court on Saturday (August 1) after he allegedly brandished a knife at three individuals, with whom he purportedly had a dispute with. Police said in a news release on Friday evening that they were alerted to a case of dispute along Selegie Road at about 4.48am on Monday (July 27), where a man was seen holding a rod-like object.It was later established that the man had hidden a 40cm-long knife beneath the back of his shirt. He subsequently confronted three other individuals over a dispute, during which police said he allegedly retrieved the knife and brandished it at them before leaving the scene.No injuries were reported in the incident.Officers from Central Police Division identified and arrested the man through extensive ground investigations and with the aid of police cameras.The knife, which had been disposed by the man, was later recovered along Middle Road.He will be charged in court on Saturday with the offence of carrying offensive weapons in public places.

A 34-year-old man was arrested on Friday (July 31) morning for his alleged involvement in a case of snatch theft in Chinatown.Police said in a news release on the same day that they received a report of snatch theft along Chin Swee Road at about 10.45pm on Thursday.The 59-year-old victim told police that an unknown man had snatched away his gold chain valued at $1,685.Preliminary investigations revealed that the victim was in a supermarket along Chin Swee Road when the man pulled the gold chain from his neck and fled the scene.Officers from Central and Ang Mo Kio Police Division identified and arrested the man within three hours of the report being made through ground enquiries and with the aid of images from police cameras and closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage from the supermarket.The gold chain was subsequently recovered and seized as a case exhibit.If found guilty of using criminal force in committing theft of property, the man could be jailed for up to seven years and caned. 

There are four cute additions at Mandai's River Wonders.Four capybara pups were born to mother Luna on July 10, which was also Capybara Appreciation Day, according to a Facebook post by Mandai Wildlife Reserve on Thursday (July 30).«It's quadruple the joy as things just got a whole lot cuter at Amazonia Encounters, River Wonders!» the caption said.The post featured a video of the pups roaming around their new habitat and munching on grass alongside their mother.  Luna also gave birth to two other pups on Jan 4, the first to be born at Mandai in a decade, reported The Straits Times. 

The 19-year-old was charged on Tuesday over the three separate alleged attacks in 2025, the Metropolitan Police said.

Chloe Moffat, 26, had worked in the government department as a personal assistant for almost three years and was on course for a promotion after being awarded a bonus for good work.

Nirmal Purja, a mountaineer who served in the British military for 15 years, went missing after leading an expedition up Pakistan's Broad Peak.

Geraldine Low Jun Ya, currently deputy secretary at the Ministry of National Development (MND), will be appointed CEO of the National Environment Agency (NEA) from Sept 1, the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) announced on Friday (July 31). She takes over from interim CEO Dr Benjamin Koh, who assumed the role on June 1, following the appointment of its former CEO Wong Kang Jet as permanent secretary.Wong was appointed Second Permanent Secretary (Home Affairs) at the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Second Permanent Secretary (Information) at the Ministry of Digital Development and Information, and Second Permanent Secretary (Cybersecurity) at the Prime Minister's Office.

The father of a 20-year-old Singaporean girl has taken to Instagram to appeal for help after she purportedly went missing in Cambodia.According to the posts, Siti Aishah Siregar Sahat Siregar was last known to have travelled to Phnom Penh from Singapore on July 28, and the family has since lost contact with her.«Our family is very worried, and every minute that passes feels so long,» Sahat Siregar, a real estate agent, said in his caption.«As a father, I am begging for your help. I just want my daughter to come home safe.»Sahat also said that the family has made a police report and are working closely with the authorities, and thanked everyone who has tried to help him so far.He has requested the authorities in Singapore and Cambodia to find his daughter as soon as possible, stating that the family is «afraid that every hour we lose could make it harder to bring her home safely».The father also asked for the public to help by sharing the post, hoping that it can reach someone who «may have seen something or know something that can help».

Drier days are expected in the first fortnight of August, the Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) announced on Friday (July 31).There will likely be fair and sometimes windy conditions on some days of the two weeks, with greater likelihood in the second week.Despite the relatively drier conditions, localised short-duration thundery showers are still expected in parts of Singapore on some days in the late mornings and afternoons.On average, total rainfall is set to be below average for most parts of the island.Maximum temperatures each day will likely range between 33 deg C and 34 deg C during the day — the warm temperatures may persist on some nights, leading to warm and humid conditions with temperatures remaining above 27 deg C.Southwest Monsoon conditions are expected to stretch beyond July into the first fortnight of August, with winds blowing from the southeast or south.In the second half of July, there were similar short-duration, localised thundery showers over parts of Singapore, with heavy, thundery showers over much of Singapore in the late morning and early afternoon of July 22.